Happy Holidays
Tree Lighting, December 2007, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, Mayor Michael Bloomberg Collection. NYC Municipal Archives
This year there is a happy confluence of holidays— December 25 is both Christmas Day and the start of Hanukkah. And, Kwanzaa begins on December 26. All of us at the Department of Records and Information Services wish our readers a peaceful and happy holiday, whatever you celebrate.
In case you are interested in a little holiday trivia, the vertical files in the Municipal Library yielded an article titled “Christmas in New York: A Dutch Treat.” Author Diane Zimmerman credits Dutch colonialists for establishing many traditions that are associated with the holiday. “… 40 short years of Dutch rule were enough to seed a tradition that would spread across the entire nation and give New York a claim to be the American model for Christmas.”
The author contrasts the Dutch immigrants in New Amsterdam with the English puritanical settlers of Massachusetts, who outlawed celebrating the holiday! In New Amsterdam, festivities began with St. Nicholas Eve in early December and carry on until early January. In fact, in the Court Minutes of New Amsterdam, the December 14, 1654 entry includes this interesting resolution:
As the winder and holidays are at hand, the Burgomasters and Schepens resolve, that there shall be no ordinary meeting between this date and three weeks after Christmas. Wherefore the Court Messenger is ordered not to summon any person, in the meantime, to a regular Court. Done.”
DORIS is not taking such an extended holiday. But, we are issuing this very short blog early and will be back on January 3. Happy Holidays!